"Teacup" and "Micro" sizes... what are they?

If you are considering buying, have questions about, or beg to differ with our teacups and mircos, this section is for you. Please thoroughly read!

What exactly is a teacup or micro?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You will NOT get papers that say "Teacup" or "Micro" chihuahua, yorkie, or etc, because it certainly is NOT a sub-breed, breed standard, nor is it a breed at all. It is merely a description that we use for size differences.

We are very well aware that the breeds we offer are already in the toy group, but there definitely needs to be more explanation in that, as breed standards range from 4 to 15 pounds in the toy group. AKC breeding lines produce puppies that are generally a minimum of 6 pound adults to a whopping 15 pounds!

If someone were to want a small companion to travel with, and it grew beyond their ability to travel with due to them unknowingly purchasing that size of dog, how would that make them feel? Some people would be very upset, making what they could of the situation, however some people will just bring the dog to the pound. Now that's not fair on either the dog nor the person. We are not saying we condone such behavior at all, as you should love your little fur baby whatever the size be, however people purchasing extra small dogs want them that size for a reason.

If someone is wanting to buy a chihuahua, but needs to have it a certain size whether it be housing restrictions, transportation reasons, or personal perforations, they need to know the size.

We use size charts (as seen on "Information on Breeding" Page) to ESTIMATE their adult sizes, weighing them every week from birth. Although the weight chart generally cuts it close to their adult weight, we CANNOT and DO NOT guarantee the puppy will stay that size, which is why we use terms such as "micro" and "teacup". If a puppy is charting out to be 6+ pounds, we DO NOT use teacup or micro, so that those looking for breeding, kids pets, or a show pet have a perfect pup. If puppy is charting out to be between 4-5 pounds, we use "Teacup", as this is the most commonly known small size term and what the general public looks for in smaller breeds. This size is not 100% safe, but has less worries. If the puppy charts out to be 1-3 pounds, we use "micro" to let prospect buyers know that this puppy will be VERY small, smaller than the breed standard and in need of much more dedication.

We carefully and selectively breed our dogs, but even more so with the teacups and micros. Our mothers undergo thorough exams as puppies, teenagers, and before we plan to breed them to be sure they are in TOP health and mentally and physically ready to breed. Our mothers range from 4 to 8 pounds, and our males from 2 to 5 pounds, which is where we get our sizes. See, when breeding any toy breed, the male should ALWAYS be smaller than the female, especially with our teacups. We use ONLY males to bring our sizes to where we want them. It is unethical to breed an itsy bitsy female and expect her to go through the pain of pregnancy and birth, especially being the health concerns such as c-sections and their low immune systems. So the males, being in great physical and mental health, is where we get the "micro" and "teacup" sizes from. Our mothers never have to go through c-sections, they always free whelp at full term and we are ALWAYS right there with them.

Now on the other side, the size terms that we use also make a huge difference for families wanting bigger dogs, whether its for breeding, kids, family dog, or showing. This is CRITICAL! If a family were to purchase a chihuahua for their kids, thinking it was going to be their buddy, and the puppy never grew over 5 pounds, the kids wouldn't have that buddy anymore! It's very important that families know what size they are getting to keep from the heart break of something happening because they THOUGHT it was a REGULAR size dog!

What About The Health Problems?

Our puppies ARE small by GENETICS, not by undernourishment, prematurity, or sickness.

The teacups you read about online that rescue groups and other breeders are warning you about generally are sickly and undernourished, which is why it is VITAL that you do your research and question any breeder you talk to, to make sure that your future puppy truly is genetically small. Ask questions such as the size of the parents, whether a c-section was performed, sizes of other puppies in the litter, and sizes of other adults in this particular line. If your puppy is said to be 2 pound adult, and the parents and other adults from such linage are 8 pounds, then you are not getting a genetically small puppy.

Our puppies do not have health PROBLEMS, as with any breed of ANY size, they have health CONCERNS, that dissipate once they are 1 year old. These include hypoglycemia, open fontanels, low immune systems, and small bones. Hypoglycemia is AKA a sugar drop, and can happen when they are stressed out, and is generally no longer an issue once they hit 3 pounds or are 1 year old, however if the puppy becomes severely attached to one person, they can stress out if they feel they have been abandoned by that person. Open fontanels AKA soft spots are where the skull has not fully closed, generally by the time the puppy is 4-6 months old these close up either completely or to the size of a pin point (in terms of our puppies). Low immune systems are no longer a worry once puppy has had all its shots. Small bones are no longer a worry at a year old as they finish growing and are stronger, and you and puppy get used to not getting on high areas and no rough play/handling by little kids. As stated above, these concerns differ from breed to breed, as each dog has it's own special and unique needs and concerns (such as bloating in great danes, wrinkles of english bulldogs, ETC).

We educate and screen each buyer when someone is interested in one of our puppies, educating them on the special care, needs, restrictions, and worries concerning each size of puppy. We WILL NOT sell a puppy to a buyer if there is ANY question in the care they will be able to provide for the puppy. We bond with each one, and we consider them parts of our families, so we will and absolutely make sure that they will be taken care of correctly. Sometimes people who want to buy a teacup or micro from us even shy away from it once we explain their needs to them, but that's 100 % OK, as if they feel they cannot do it, then they do not need to get it.

We do not breed the micros nor the teacups for families wanting to give them to their kids. NOT that we refuse kids the right of owning a puppy, it's just that the primary caregiver needs to be an adult to ensure the safety and care of each puppy. Teacups and micros are like newborns, just as you would not expect a 3-18 year old to feed, change diapers, or care for a newborn, you should not expect a 3-18 year old to care for a teacup or micro. Micros and teacups require SO much attentive care that a child going to school or wanting to have a social life just would NOT be able to do all of it. So we always make sure that an adult is the primary caregiver, given that the rest of the family understands the puppies needs and are ready to help and know how to help if needed.

Why the HIGH prices?

We do not breed these small breeds to generate only a profit. We breed these small breeds because we enjoy the personalities and ease of travel and companionship. We also breed because we know we can and will educate and properly produce these puppies, where many breeders wont.

That being said, we not only put LOTS of money into these puppies, we also invest our entire lives to them. Most of our micro puppies ALWAYS have blood panel work done to unsure all internal organs are functioning properly, and they do not have liver shunt. Cross breed Micros, and tea-cups are given blood panel work, if the individual puppy were to show any unusual behaviors, or sugar drops an un-normal amount.